Catastrophe
Created by:
Sharon Horgan
Rob Delaney
2015-
Comedy
Amazon Prime (U.S.)
TV-MA
A man and a woman meet at a London bar. (No, this isn’t the beginning of a joke.) He’s American, and she’s Irish. She drinks, he doesn’t. No problem. They end up having a six-night, intermittent make-out session. The end of which goes something like this:
She says to him, “I’ll remember you as a sturdy love-maker with a massive chin who was really kind to waiters and taxi drivers, which suggests you might actually be a good person.” His response? “What time is it?”
If that kind of exchange piques your interest, then “Catastrophe” might be the show for you. The title refers to what happens after that six-night affair: She finds out that she’s pregnant … by him. The “she” in question is Sharon Morris; the “he” in question is Rob Norris. Get the joke? They’re played by Sharon Horgan and Rob Delaney, who also created and wrote the show together, which is a production of Channel 4 in the U.K. and airs exclusively via Amazon Prime in the States.
When Sharon gives Rob the big news, he decides to give the whole father thing a go. He sees the opportunity in the catastrophe. He seizes the day. Sharon goes along with him, haltingly. So, it’s the people around them who aren’t so sure – his mom, played by Carrie Fisher, in particular. That kind of take is what makes “Catastrophe” interesting. It’s actually not as cynical as it appears to be.
In regards to the humor, they just get on with it. An excellent choice. They don’t linger on the comedic beats or on the setups to those beats. Whether the joke lands or not, it’s on to the next one. The pacing, editing, and hand-held camerawork support that approach. Everything works rather well together. There’s a hint of drama, at times, too. But, just like the jokes, the drama doesn’t last too long. It certainly can’t when the sound of a banjo from this show’s soundtrack threatens to pop up at any moment.
Essentially, “Catastrophe” relies on the chemistry between its leads, and Horgan and Delaney have a nice ease with each other. They’re in rhythm. But, they’re not the only ones. Their supporting cast has a nice feel for this kind of comedy, as well. (Even Rob’s exchange with some of Sharon’s students – she’s a schoolteacher – works without being patronizing.) So, even when the humor doesn’t land (you don’t want to know what happens to her engagement ring), it doesn’t have to.
Verdict: Good to Very Good
About: (Source: catastrophe)
Rob Delaney and Sharon Horgan write and star in this R-rated comedy about a one-week stand between a Boston ad exec and a London schoolteacher that leads to an accidental pregnancy. When Rob moves to the UK to help figure things out, cultures clash and hormones flare as these two realize they don’t know the first thing about each other.
